The only independent pet shop in Hertford closed at weekend after 15 years of trading in the town. Hertford Pet Supplies in Fore Street opened for the last time on Saturday to the dismay of its customers.

Owner Bob Ash will be retiring, but the decision to shut up shop was also partly down to competition from the recently-opened Pets at Home chain in the town and a rise in online shopping.

He said: “I think the town has changed completely. The independents are gradually disappearing. It’s fine if you want to eat or drink but the little independents are dying.”

Mr Ash, 75, said: “We shall miss all our customers. A lot of them are more our friends than customers. We’ve loved every minute of it.”

The shop, which opened in 1999, employs four people, including a Saturday boy.

The closure of the pet shop has upset customers. Hertford resident Karen Turner, who regularly attended with dog Bonser, said in a letter to the local newspaper the Hertfordshire Mercury:  “The thing that is lost is the customer care and the love lavished on those pets who went into Bob’s shop as well."